Shops remained open, Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation buses and auto rickshaws plied as usual and that ensured that the response in Coimbatore to the all-India general strike called for by trade unions was very poor.
Bus services to Kerala remained suspended, though. Bus bays that serve people going to Kerala wore a deserted look. The Corporation had diverted to Pollachi, Palani and a few other places the buses that were supposed to ply to various places in Kerala.
Members of the Tamil Nadu Government Employees Association and pensioners association staged a protest at the Coimbatore Collectorate against the Central Government’s economic policies.
Representatives of auto rickshaw drivers’ unions claimed that majority of the auto rickshaws were off road on Tuesday.
But the running of auto rickshaws associated with various taxi aggregators ensured that the city’s residents faced no difficulty.
Coimbatore City and Rural Police had posted personnel at various depots of the Corporation, government offices and important junctions.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary K. Balakrishnan said here that people in over 70,000 villages in the State had participated in the strike and on Wednesday, the second day of the 48-hour protest, the CPI(M) would stage a protest.
Banking services hit
The All-India strike had an impact on banking transactions and some of the industries in Coimbatore district.
Employees in several bank branches took part in the strike, though the officers did not. Counter transactions were affected in these branches, said sources in the banks.
About 300 employees of banks and some of the insurance companies staged a demonstration here. Operations were affected at the Life Insurance Corporation and the General Insurance Corporation, the sources said.
According to M. Arumugam of AITUC, workers at NTC mills took part in the strike. “The response in Coimbatore district is better than expected. On Wednesday, there will be a protest in front of the railway station,” he said.
Industry sources said that private textile mills, small and micro units continued operations as usual. However, trade unions had given strike notice in units where they were present.
Udhagamandalam
In the Nilgiris, most banks functioned as usual. Tourists did not face any inconvenience due to the strike.